VIENNA/ISLAMABAD (MNN); Supreme Court Justice Ayesha Malik has been honoured with the International Leader/Lifetime Award at the Justitia Awards 2026 in Vienna, Austria, in recognition of her distinguished contribution to law and justice and her efforts to promote equality, human rights and women’s participation in the legal profession.
The prestigious award was presented in the presence of judges, lawyers and legal professionals from various jurisdictions. It also recognised the broader importance of women holding influential positions in the judiciary and legal institutions, where they can contribute to legal reasoning, institutional reforms and the development of law.
During her visit to Vienna, Justice Malik also attended the Women in Law Conference 2026, where she spoke at a session titled “Roadmap to Equality and Women’s Rights in Practice.”
Reflecting on her judicial career, Justice Malik discussed her journey from her appointment to the Lahore High Court in 2012 to becoming the first woman judge of the Supreme Court in 2022.
She highlighted both the challenges and opportunities faced by women judges and stressed the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into judicial reasoning and legal practice.
Justice Malik said the pursuit of equality should go beyond guarantees contained in legislation and should also consider the circumstances and realities in which women experience and interact with the law.
She emphasised the need for judicial institutions and legal principles to respond effectively to women’s lived experiences. She also referred to elements of her jurisprudence relating to dignity, equality and the treatment of women within the justice system.
The award represents an international recognition of Justice Malik’s judicial contribution and marks another significant achievement for Pakistan’s representation in the global legal community.
The Pakistan-based Women in Law initiative described the honour as a “proud moment” for the country.
According to the initiative, Justice Malik is the third Pakistani woman to receive a Justitia Award, with Pakistani women having been recognised in three different categories.
Rights activist Jalila Haider received the International Game Changer Award in 2023, while Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhry received the International Academia Award.
